# Humidor not maintaining humidity



## Firebert (Dec 22, 2013)

I came here looking for humidor suggestions back before Christmas for my boyfriend. I went with another poster's suggestions and now a month later, we seem to be having issues with keeping the humidity at a decent level. He left 3 84 Boveda packs in for 2 weeks before purchasing any cigars. It's sitting at 60 right now.

He had in all 4 84 Boveda packs and they kept it at 65. Two have already gone hard so he had to remove them and replace them with the 65s I'd gotten him. So now he has 3 65s and 2 84s in and it's down at 60.

The seal seems to be fine, when letting go of the lid it doesn't just thud shut. It's been absolutely frigid here so we've wondered if we'll need to purchase a humidifier to help. If so, does anyone have any suggestions? I was looking on Amazon and there were so many people critiquing this one and that one so I just closed the tab and moved on. But now that it's even lower we gotta do something about it.


EDIT: Hah, look at that, this isn't my account either, I should have thought to see who was logged in... >.<

EDIT FROM THE BOYFRIEND: Thanks for making the post for me, lol. As she said, the 84's kept it at about 65. It started getting low, so I checked the packs and two of the 84's were hard, so I removed them and replaced them with the 65's. Now the humidity is down at 60. Could this be a hygrometer problem? I have some cigars in there right now, I hope they won't get ruined in any way.


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## Laynard (Oct 10, 2013)

Are you taking the reading from an analog hygrometer, or a digital one? Was it calibrated? 60% during the winter is not too bad. Some prefer this. I would be worried if it dropped to 55%. But, make sure you have an accurate device for measuring it (the analogs are famous for being horrible). 60% on an analog could be a lot higher, and that would ruin your cigars. I would especially be worried with those 84s in there. Also, how often are you opening the humi? Is it near a heat source or a window? All these effect the readings.


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## Firebert (Dec 22, 2013)

It's a digital. It is relatively close to a radiator, so I'll move it. I've opened it a for a couple seconds every day to check the rh. Would that affect it a lot?


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

I find it hard to believe the RH is so low when using 84% boveda packs. Sounds like it is time to calibrate the hygrometer. I do not think I had such an issue even while living in the high desert.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

Firebert said:


> I've opened it a for a couple seconds every day to check the rh. Would that affect it a lot?


Just curious,what does your hygrometer read when left outside the humidor?


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## huskers (Oct 2, 2012)

What is the room temp where the hygrometer is stored?

If you were using the 84% seasoning bovedas then your hygrometer should definitely read higher than 65%.

What kind/model/brand of humidor did you buy?


If the packs got hard and the RH is still low, I'm guessing you have a major seal issue.


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## Dollfaise (Dec 13, 2013)

I got him the 50 cigar savoy rosewood.

We haven't left the hygrometer out to see what it reads yet, we'll try it once we get home.

My thermometer reads between 68 and 72 most of the time although it probably dips at night and maybe when we're away if the landlord thinks he can get away with it...

Huskers, that's what I thought. They shouldn't be rock solid after a month.


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## huskers (Oct 2, 2012)

Dollfaise said:


> I got him the 50 cigar savoy rosewood.
> 
> We haven't left the hygrometer out to see what it reads yet, we'll try it once we get home.
> 
> ...


Is it possible to contact the retailer you bought it from?


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## Firebert (Dec 22, 2013)

Do you have a link to a guide on the proper way to calibrate a digital hygrometer? I've googled it, but I want to make sure I'm getting reputable information here so I don't get incorrect information.


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## huskers (Oct 2, 2012)

Firebert said:


> Do you have a link to a guide on the proper way to calibrate a digital hygrometer? I've googled it, but I want to make sure I'm getting reputable information here so I don't get incorrect information.


I'd suggest getting the boveda calibration packet.

You basically leave your hygrometer in a ziplock bag with the packet for how ever many hours it tells you, push the calibrate button and your done.


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## Northerntorpedo (Jan 15, 2014)

I have been having trouble my new one as well. I seasoned it, calibrated 2 different hygrometers, after waiting for seasoning to complete I put in the humidifier, xikar 50 count crystal pack, and about 25+ cigars. Check it out a couple days later and it's now around 60%. I know it's not the seal because the thing is hard to open once it's closed! Today I took everything out and seasoned it a third time with distilled water. Better work this time. 
In the mean time I put the cigars, hygrometers, and the xikar crystal puck in a big Ziplock bag and it reads a perfect 70% lol. Might stick with the Ziplock if I don't get some luck soon! I'll keep you posted


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## Jerren (Jul 3, 2013)

Northerntorpedo said:


> I have been having trouble my new one as well. I seasoned it, calibrated 2 different hygrometers, after waiting for seasoning to complete I put in the humidifier, xikar 50 count crystal pack, and about 25+ cigars. Check it out a couple days later and it's now around 60%. I know it's not the seal because the thing is hard to open once it's closed! Today I took everything out and seasoned it a third time with distilled water. Better work this time.
> In the mean time I put the cigars, hygrometers, and the xikar crystal puck in a big Ziplock bag and it reads a perfect 70% lol. Might stick with the Ziplock if I don't get some luck soon! I'll keep you posted


You are in Canada right? I'm assuming its a tad bit cold there? Because of the weather, you humidor is also affected and your RH will be lower than advertised on your humidity device.

I'm thinking the same for firebert who is located in NY.


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## Northerntorpedo (Jan 15, 2014)

Damn... Usually being Canadian is awesome! Lol. They still smoke fine and all. Maybe I should just stop worrying. But wait, how does that explain the ziploc baggie getting 70%?


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## Jerren (Jul 3, 2013)

Northerntorpedo said:


> Damn... Usually being Canadian is awesome! Lol. They still smoke fine and all. Maybe I should just stop worrying. But wait, how does that explain the ziploc baggie getting 70%?


I should have started my post with, "I'm a noob" and I'm just sharing some info I got. But you are losing 24 points? I don't think it should be that much of a drop. however, I read that even with the 84% boveda pack, after its gone through its 2 week seasoning process, it should not read 84% when you put a hygrometer in there. Hopefully someone more experienced (and from a place in the world that has winter time) will step in and say something. And if they are smoking good I wouldn't worry about it. I had been kind of freaking out over the past few weeks my self regarding my rh. But my cigars all smoke and burn just fine. And my humidor dipped to 58% at one point. After doing the boveda seasoning, and then added two 69's in there, My hygrometer reads a steady 63%. My cigars are kept in my basement where it may get down to as low as 60 degrees on winter nights.

Hope this helps


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## imported_mark_j (Aug 18, 2013)

My humidor is routinely 60-61% in the winter (very cold and dry with forced-air heating) and 65-66% the rest of the year with 65% beads. My cigars smoke great. 

I've had identical results with both Heartfelt beads and Boveda packs. I use the Heartfelt beads full-time now because they are easy to recharge and the Bovedas do not last long enough in the winter to be economical. Spritzing the beads is easier than monitoring and recharging the packs (yes I am that lazy).

I've also heard that mixing Boveda values (65% and 84%) in the same humidor causes them to "fight" each other and not work properly. I don't know if that is true though.

Edit: I forgot to make my point.....try just one value of Boveda pack and see what happens. 60%-62% in the dry, cold, winter is not horrible if you can maintain it. IMHO, of course.


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## Northerntorpedo (Jan 15, 2014)

The part I just don't get is why having my cigars In a big ziploc, it reads 70%+ now. But would be barely 60% in the humidor


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

Humidors can be leaking from places other than the lid/box seal. I had an inexpensive humidor that had the bottom made from wood that seemed to be quarter inch plywood. Once a half inch piece of wood was added, a little food grade silicon was used to seal the corners, all was good.


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## Firebert (Dec 22, 2013)

Thanks for the tips. I'll take out the remaining 84 that's in there. So yet again, I can probably blame something on the damn Polar Vortex.


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## Dollfaise (Dec 13, 2013)

huskers said:


> Is it possible to contact the retailer you bought it from?


Hopefully. We're going to look at the hygrometer first and then if that seems to indicate that the problem is the humidor I'll call them.


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## cysquatch (Feb 27, 2013)

dumb question, was the humidor properly seasoned?


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